The most impressive people are not always the best educated. I've encountered plenty of wise and knowledgeable people who lacked the credentials of higher education. Add to that list a couple of fishermen.
"Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)
My confidence easily evaporates in the presence of scholarly people, but such was not the case with Peter and John. The intellectual scribes, along with learned religious rulers, were "greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." (Acts 4:2). This great truth was a serious threat to the scholars of the day, but it was a source of confidence and boldness to these untrained men who had been so radically impacted by it. And never have more confident and bold words been uttered:
"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, 'Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead -by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.'" (Acts 4:8-12)
Peter's confident declaration resonated with that of One these scholars and leaders thought they had done away with only a short time before. Yet, within the words of this uneducated fisherman could be heard the authoritative voice of Jesus of Nazareth. No other explanation could suffice for what they saw and heard from these common men.
There are plenty of admonitions for us to be diligent in our efforts to understand the teachings of the Bible (I.e, 2 Timothy 2:15), but diligent study without an intimate encounter with Jesus, God's Son, is of little value. Jesus leveled this very indictment against these religious leaders: "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me" (John 5:39). Bible study without an intimate encounter with the Son of God is an unprofitable effort. Until we have been taught by the Teacher, we have not truly learned.
The most profitable use of our time today will be in opening our Bibles as we sit at the feet of Jesus, expectantly awaiting His insightful instruction. May the resulting boldness in our words and testimony rock our worlds.
Steve
© 2010, Steve Taylor
"Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)
My confidence easily evaporates in the presence of scholarly people, but such was not the case with Peter and John. The intellectual scribes, along with learned religious rulers, were "greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead." (Acts 4:2). This great truth was a serious threat to the scholars of the day, but it was a source of confidence and boldness to these untrained men who had been so radically impacted by it. And never have more confident and bold words been uttered:
"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, 'Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead -by this name this man stands here before you in good health. He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.'" (Acts 4:8-12)
Peter's confident declaration resonated with that of One these scholars and leaders thought they had done away with only a short time before. Yet, within the words of this uneducated fisherman could be heard the authoritative voice of Jesus of Nazareth. No other explanation could suffice for what they saw and heard from these common men.
There are plenty of admonitions for us to be diligent in our efforts to understand the teachings of the Bible (I.e, 2 Timothy 2:15), but diligent study without an intimate encounter with Jesus, God's Son, is of little value. Jesus leveled this very indictment against these religious leaders: "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me" (John 5:39). Bible study without an intimate encounter with the Son of God is an unprofitable effort. Until we have been taught by the Teacher, we have not truly learned.
The most profitable use of our time today will be in opening our Bibles as we sit at the feet of Jesus, expectantly awaiting His insightful instruction. May the resulting boldness in our words and testimony rock our worlds.
Steve
© 2010, Steve Taylor
posted by steve @ 8:05 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home